Lafourche families say unsolved cases are race related

Raymond Legendre Staff Writer

Saturday

Apr 26, 2008 at 12:01 AM

THIBODAUX -- The release of four shooting suspects -- three from jail and one from a murder charge -- within the past 10 days has drawn the ire of victims’ families, who say, police aren’t vigorously investigating the cases because of the victims’ skin color.

The same claim has been made in the Alidore community of Raceland, where the family of a man slain in November says investigators have been slow to come to their aid.

Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office and Thibodaux Police officials strongly disagree with the families’ assertions that race factors into their investigations.

They say investigators work each case the same, regardless of the victim’s skin color. Sometimes, they have minimal evidence to work with or face situations in which witnesses are scarce or not forthcoming, they note.

"I dispute the claim that we don’t care, that we don’t investigate thoroughly and give our best effort," Sheriff’s spokesman Larry Weidel said. "It’s just not true."

"Race is not an issue for us," Thibodaux Police Chief Craig Melancon said firmly.

Long-term statistics show that of seven homicides involving black victims over the past five years, city police made arrests in five cases. Sheriff’s Office numbers are identical.

Thibodaux had two homicides involving white victims, one of which was solved.

In Lafourche Parish, Sheriff’s Office detectives solved 10 of 11 murders in which victims were white.

Examination of the numbers, officials caution, is not likely to show clear trends. At least four of the Lafourche cases with white victims, for example, were the result of multiple killings attributed to one person.

Data provides little solace or closure to victims’ families, however.

Hours after learning the man accused of killing her 25-year-old son, Eric "E-40" Smith, had been set free, Ruby Azema voiced her disapproval of the Thibodaux Police investigation.

"I feel like it’s black-on-black, and they’re not worried about it," Azema said, asserting on multiple occasions that her son is just another black man gone.

District Attorney Cam Morvant II has said there wasn’t enough evidence to prosecute Brandon Harry, accused of participating in Smith’s Feb. 5 death at Scrub’s Car Wash on Gerald T. Peltier Drive.

Azema said she doubts the case would be solved.

Melancon maintains his investigators had probable cause to arrest Harry, adding they will continue to work the case in hopes of one day taking it before a jury.

"There are a lot of questions we have for individuals where we believe they are not being truthful with us," Melancon said. Fear and loyalty to friends, Melancon added, are some of the roadblocks investigators have hit when speaking to potential witnesses. Those difficulties are hardly unique to his department, he noted.

Burnell Tolbert, president of NAACP’s Lafourche Parish branch, said he understands that people may not always be cooperative with investigators.

"Some people fear retaliation," Tolbert said. "Some are afraid of other people looking at them as a rat. I’ll be honest, if it was me and I saw something, you could call me a rat all you want."

Beverly Myles saw the three men accused of shooting and paralyzing her 35-year-old son, Leon Clemons, released from jail on a lowered bond because authorities said they could not locate witnesses. Charges in that case, however, are still pending.

"I feel like they could have done much more," Myles said, "and maybe this wouldn’t have happened, but they didn’t do anything."

Myles received the news Wednesday that three men accused of shooting her son in July might not go to trial due to a lack of witnesses.

The trials of Jason Alexander and brothers Kendall and Charles Mathews are still scheduled for May 21, but Lafourche Assistant District Attorney Mark Chiasson said there is a "likelihood" the charges would be dropped "if witnesses don’t come forward."

Myles said earlier this week she does not hold the three men responsible for her son’s shooting because her son did not see who fired the weapon. The people who left her son unable to walk will be punished by God one day, she reasoned.

Myles’ peace disappears when she talks of Thibodaux Police. Her frustration level rose when she spoke of how her other son, Lance Clemons, was stabbed at Scrub’s Car Wash months before Leon’s shooting. No arrest was made in that case.

She shrugged when she spoke about how the Mathews brothers waited in the police station 10 minutes before officers took them into custody.

"They passed right by them," Myles said. "In other words, just like any other big city, when it comes to black-on-black crime, ëOh, well.’ Fifteen to 20 minutes sitting in the lobby … that tells me they don’t give a hoot."

In Alidore, victims’ families have made similar complaints. Leon "PeeWee" Sylvester, 19, was shot and killed in November on Williams Street. Kentrell Charles, 30, was shot to death as he sat on his Kahn Street porch. Both murders remain unsolved.

Tolbert said officers need to work harder to build trust in communities where violence has occurred to help encourage people to step forward.

He also expressed hope that people with knowledge of such crimes will have the courage to do so, not for the sake of the police, but for the families who have suffered losses.

"It’s the families that are hurting," Tolbert said. "They are the ones waiting for these things to be solved. They are waiting for closure. I think we could always do better."

Staff Writer Raymond Legendre can be reached at 448-7617 or raymond.legendre@houmatoday.com.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.